Thread: Does a telephone line have an electrical current?

Originally Posted by Beardy

They didn’t say an unqualified person could tamper with it did they? Yes it is yours as is the power, water, sewer and gas supply into your property but it still technically requires a professional to interfere with it

No specification was put on it. The question of working between the private pole and the street connection was definitely a no no and that and that was made very clear.

Originally Posted by Beardy

Yes it is yours as is the power, water, sewer and gas supply into your property but it still technically requires a professional to interfere with it

I've done DIY work on all of those services at my property. I'd be very surprised if anyone on this forum hasn't worked on at least one of them. Let he who has not sinned......

Yep guilty as charged.
In 1978 when we first moved into our place there were 3 obvious DIY old school phone sockets connections including one with mains electrical cabling, twisted connections and gaffer. I stripped it all out back to the connect box outside and rewired it with proper plugs/sockets.
House Electrical wiring was similar and included many circuit branches of (damaged) cloth covered wires on ceramic insulators. I went up into ceiling cavity multiple times with a multimeter and trailing an earth line and removed/replaced many meters of this wiring. Finally In 1994 we decided to get house completely required. In 2005 I moved/rerouted about a dozen cables to install an attic. Have since added a number of power and lighting points. Shed has 2 connects both done by sparki s but Ive rewired/added stuff multiple times.
The house plumbing was a mix of rusty galv and Cu when we bought it. I replaced all the galv with Cu but during various house 1990s Reno’s it was all professionally redone. Have since replace most taps, added several garden tap and plumbed the shed in (water and sewage)
In 2013 I extended the house gas line to the shed. I connected into an exposed pipe at the side of the house and added a gas tap. This has not been used for some time and tap at house take off point is wired closed.
Also wired multiple Ethernet points in house in 2002.

I bought the house back in April 2021 and this evening I took a look at the real-estate sales advertisement and I must have forgotten all about the house not having a landline service, having one foot in the grave cancer will do that to you and its probably why I have a mobile Telstra WiFi service.

There's a few houses down my road and they all have a WiFi thingy on the roof so I'd say the line has been decommissioned and my line is now rolled up and wired to the pole beside the road.
As you can see the telephone wires aren't even copper and looks more like 2 strands of thin fencing wire.

Job done and now to move onto removing the galvanised bung from brass fitting on the Council town water line in the front of my yard.

1. Telephone Thingys - 25.01.22C.jpg 1. Telephone Line - 26.01.22.jpg 1. Front Tap - 220.1.22C.jpg

I think we all have sinned although if a member asks some thing that may be unlawful, contrary to insurance etc you can't advise them to do it.

Originally Posted by Specialized29er

As you can see the telephone wires aren't even copper and looks more like 2 strands of thin fencing wire.

1. Telephone Line - 26.01.22.jpg

Not all of the "copper network" more correctly called the "CAN - Customer Access Network" is copper! Aluminium conductors have been in use for decades in some applications.

As for performing DIY "customer cabling" tasks - its a case of beware, it can come back to bite you! As pointed out a number of times by others, DIY modifications to gas, electrical, and telco networks are regulated for very good reason.

I'm now retired from Telstra after a 40 year career, and have been for a number of years, but in my working life as a "technical specialist / subject matter expert" (Surveyor / GIS / Designer) I was involved in numerous customer investigations over the years where the customer alleged or had made claims that the design of the CAN had caused damage to their property.

One case in VIC alleged that the pit and pipe design permitted water to enter through the cable entry conduit into the house causing considerable damage to a tongue and groove floor. The plaintiff supplied numerous photographs to support their claim. After I sourced a series of aerial photographs that showed extensive civil and landscaping works post installation of the original service the plaintiff withdrew their claim. Their own photographs supported Telstra's contention that the pit and pipe was not installed by Telstra. Further investigations on site further supported that with the non-contract schedule pits and pipe "found" in the cable entry. The claimant had to pick up the tab for all remedial works to the floor and the CAN pit and pipe. Telstra was gracious in not seeking "costs" for the investigative costs investigating the claim, which would have run into the many thousands of dollars given "call out" fees, and the billable time for me & others involved.

Yes in other instances the customer did have a justifiable case in that they had not caused the "fault." Many "faults" in service standard, or a "non-working" service can be traced back to "backhoe fade" however it is usually pretty easy to identify the culprit.

Telco (NBN & and Telcos) customers should be aware that repairs on the customer side of the "network boundary" are at their costs as the customer is deemed to be the owner of that plant.

One word of caution I would offer to rural property owners is that IF you have any redundant "aerial network" (telco, power etc) on your property discuss "risk mitigation" with Telstra (or the energy supplier who may own the plant) to have the redundant plant removed. Especially if you have had the power network companies perform aerial inspections with helicopters!! DAHIKT - please!

Proof that you have contacted "Dial Before You Dig" is essential to protect yourself should you perform any civil works on your property, or in this instance a task that may damage the aerial network.

So the message is - risk mitigate! Don't perform DIY modifications.

Avoidable Accidents No. 2 Wirestrikes involving known wires: A manageable aerial agriculture hazard (atsb.gov.au)

Must admit I've got rusty. I happened upon this whilst searching on the 'net for another matter - the AUSTRALIAN STANDARD AS/ACIF S009:2006 "Installation requirements for customer cabling (Wiring rules)" - Page 141 Figure J4 explains the network boundary in the typical detached house scenario.

NOTE - you must be a registered cabler or working under the supervision of a registered cabler to perform work, modify, disconnect any part of the "telecommunications network."

Microsoft Word - S009_2006r V2.doc (commsalliance.com.au)

Note the warning re potentially hazardous voltages on Page v -

WARNING
This Standard includes requirements
intended to ensure the safety of
customers, cabling providers, carrier staff,
and the general public. However, cabling
providers are reminded that metallic
telecommunications conductors, earth
connections, metallic parts, etc. may, at
any given time, be at a voltage that
exceeds the Telecommunications
Network Voltage (TNV) rating of
AS/NZS 60950.1. Examples of an
overvoltage condition may include:


• contact with AC mains power through
customer equipment failure or cabling
faults;
• power feeding;
• surge currents and induced voltages
through power system faults.

Accordingly, cabling providers working
on customer cabling are warned to treat
the metallic parts of a
telecommunications installation as
potentially harmful.

Note: A carrier may disconnect customer equipment or customer cabling
that is, or is likely to be, a threat to the health or safety of any person
or the integrity of a telecommunications network or a facility.